NEWSLETTER Issue No. 30 November 2009 In this issue... Dear Network Participant, News This month we congratulate Network Participants who won ARC Linkage, ARC 1 In this issue... Discovery, and NHMRC Grants, Awards and Fellowships; the total value of grants was more than $18 million dollars, which shows just how strong parasitological research is 2 Congratulations in Australia. 4 ASP strategic planning As you know, the ASP Council has agreed to provide funding to continue the ARC/ survey NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology for at least another 2 years. This means that, amongst other things, there will be a welcome return of the Network Researcher 4 Researcher news Exchange, Training and Travel Award scheme in 2010 – stay tuned for more details interview with Dr Rowena early in the new year. The Network Mentorship Scheme will also continue and we’ll Martin (ANU) maintain our very successful outreach and public awareness programs. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to directly support our Network e-resources as we have been able 5 Conference News to in the past. However, the expertise that has been built up over the last 5 years – especially next-generation sequencing (they have done something like 30 microbial ICOPA genomes in the last year) – still exists at the Victorian Bioinformatics Centre and can 6 Events be accessed by our members on a very reasonable user-pays basis. Contact Ross Coppel ([email protected]) to discuss your needs. Parasites in Focus at As part of the new iteration of the Network, you will need to be an ASP member to Wollongong Science be eligible to apply for grants administered by the Network. But, of course, being a Centre member of the ASP is great value - you will recoup the very modest membership fees in the discount you get for the annual conference! 6 Network Mentorship Scheme The ASP and the Network are looking at the strategic development and future of Australian Parasitology in the early part of 2010 and feedback from members is an 7 Positions Vacant essential part of this process. We invite all ASP members and Network participants to complete a survey as part of the strategic planning for the ASP. Please click on the Postdoctoral and Invitational following link or cut and paste into your browser to enter the survey Fellowships in Japan 2010, http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/204180/asp-member-survey Postdoctoral researcher For Network participants in NSW, our “Parasites in Focus” exhibition is on display at or experienced research the Wollongong Science Centre. And don’t forget, if you haven’t already, grab a copy assistant (JCU), of the latest issue of “Cosmos” (Issue 29 Oct/Nov 2009) magazine, which features Postdoctoral Research Fellow images from our “Parasites in Focus” exhibition. and Ph.D. opportunity at This will be our last Newsletter for 2009 and, indeed, our last under the ARC and Monash University NHMRC banner. Lisa and I would, once again, like to say what a privilege and thrill PhD scholarships at The it has been to work with you all for the last 5 years. And, we’re looking forward very University of Sydney. much to what the future will bring to Australian parasitology over the next 2 years as well! I hope that you all enjoy a well deserved rest over the Christmas and New Year break. Best wishes, Nick (Nick Smith, Convenor, ARC/NHMRC Research Network for Parasitology; [email protected]) www.parasite.org.au/arcnet Page 1 Congratulations Congratulations to Network Participants who were recently Mal Jones, Geoff Gobert (University of Queensland) awarded ARC Discovery Grants Discovery of pathways to embryogenesis in pathogenic flatworm parasites using microdissection and transcriptomic Andrew Thompson and colleagues (Murdoch University) technologies Functional proteomics of Giardia Robin Gasser, Aaron Jex, David Littlewood (University of Congratulations to Network Participants who recently Melbourne) received NHMRC Career Development Awards and Mitogenomics using a massively parallel reactor platform Fellowships from barcoding to diagnostic tools for pathogens of major socioeconomic importance Stuart Ralph (University of Melbourne) Plasmodium tRNA synthetases as drug targets Robin Gasser, Andreas Hofmann, Alex Loukas, Paul Sternberg (University of Melbourne and QIMR) Aaron Jex (University of Melbourne) Elucidating structure and function of activation associated An integrated pipeline for understanding the molecular secreted proteins (ASPs) in blood feeding hookworms epidemiology of waterborne and zoonotic disease. – toward new methods of control James G Beeson (WEHI) SRF A Alex Maier and colleagues (La Trobe University) Biogenesis of red blood cell membrane modifications by the Congratulations to Network Participants who were recently malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum awarded NHMRC 2009 Project Grants Grant Hose, John Ellis and colleagues (Macquarie University and Kevin Saliba, Kiaran Kirk, Alex Maier, LeannTilley (ANU and LaTrobe IBID, UTS) University) Testing the biodiversity function paradigm for the provision The Na+/H+ exchanger and H+-pumping pyrophosphatases of clean water in aquifers of the malaria parasite Brian Cooke and colleagues (Monash University) Ross Andrews, Rick Speare, Jonathan Carapetis, James McCarthy, Structural and functional alteration of red blood cells by Allen Cheng, Theresa Kearns, Eddie Mulholland, Deborah Holt, Babesia parasites Peter Markey (MSHR) Impact of an ivermectin mass drug administration program against endemic scabies and strongyloidiasis Robin Gasser, Paul Sternberg, Alex Loukas (University of Melbourne and QIMR) Elucidating a key developmental switch in Haemonchus Nicholas Anstey, Tsin Yeo, Stephen Duffull, Daniel Lampah, Enny contortus using a massively parallel picolitre reactor Kenangalem (MSHR) sequencing coupled genomic and bioinformatic platform Endothelial dysfunction as a therapeutic target in severe malaria Ross Waller, Geoff McFadden (University of Melbourne) Investigations of Australian Hematodinium species (sp.): a Katja Fischer (QIMR) dinoflagellate parasite damaging major crustacean fisheries Functional Analysis of Novel Scabies Mite Serpins in Australia and worldwide Michelle Gatton, Qin Cheng, Richard Price (QIMR) Malcolm McConville and colleagues (University of Melbourne) Development and application of theoretical models of Mannosyl transfer processes in Leishmania and mycobacteria Plasmodium transmission to guide malaria elimination efforts www.parasite.org.au/arcnet Page Congratulations Christian Engwerda, Paul Kaye (QIMR) Brian Cooke, Mohandas Narla (Monash University) Tissue specific antigen presenting cell functions during SBP1 and altered structure and function of malaria- infection infected red blood cells Alex Loukas, Jeffrey Bethony (QIMR) Marshall Lightowlers (University of Melbourne) Apical membrane proteins as targets for a schistosomiasis Immunological prevention of cysticercosis and hydatid vaccine disease Alex Loukas, Banchob Sripa, Jason Mulvenna, Mal Jones (QIMR) Stephen Rogerson, Anthony Jaworowski, Kevin Kain (University Interactions between excretory/secretory proteins of the of Melbourne) carcinogenic liver fluke and host cells Phagocytic clearance and immune activation in malaria Don McManus, Gail Williams, Yuesheng Li, Jiagang Guo, Allen Stuart Ralph (University of Melbourne) Ross, Donald Harn Jnr, (QIMR) Cytosolic and organellar tRNA synthetases in Plasmodium Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on transmission and falciparum future control of human schistosomiasis in China Jake Baum, Stuart Ralph (WEHI and University of Melbourne) Jason Mulvenna (QIMR) Dissecting the molecular basis of the malaria parasite- Unravelling the tetraspanin web in the schistosome erythrocyte tight junction complex tegument Jake Baum, Geoff McFadden (WEHI and University of Ashraful Haque (QIMR) Melbourne) IL-2/anti-IL-2 complexes in immunity to blood Investigating cytoskeletal dynamics across the lifecycle of stage malaria infection and prevention of cerebral the malaria parasite immunopathology Ray Norton, Robin Anders (WEHI and LaTrobe University) Simon Foote and colleagues (Menzies Research Institute) Structure and interactions of a disordered malaria surface ENU mutagenesis to identify targets for hostdirected protein: implications for antigenicity therapy against malaria Tim Davis, Ivo Mueller, Harin Karunajeewa, Peter Siba, Kevin Leann Tilley, Eric Hanssen, Don Gardiner (La Trobe University Batty, Tim St Pierre (UWA) and QIMR) Novel artemisinin-based combination therapies for Trafficking of the major virulence protein to the host cell children exposed to high transmission of multiple surface in malaria parasite infected erythrocytes Plasmodium species Brendan Crabb, Paul Gilson, Kerstin Leykauf (Macfarlane Burnet Chris Peacock, (UWA) Institute for Medical Research and Public Health) Comparative analysis of human and kangaroo Leishmania: Signalling during red blood cell invasion by Plasmodium defining human pathogenicity genes falciparum Brian Cooke, Artur Scherf (Monash University) Exported malaria kinases and red blood cell remodeling www.parasite.org.au/arcnet Page ASP strategic planning survey The ASP and the Network are looking at the strategic development and future of Australian Parasitology in the early part of 2010 and feedback from members is an essential part of this process. We invite all ASP members and Network participants to complete a survey as part of the strategic planning for the ASP. The survey results will provide input into the ASP strategic planning workshop to be held in February